Alone
by DPRRluvJ13MM
Summary: What happened to the others after their friends souls had been released? For the "Winter Blues" contest on deviantART.
1. The Dream

_**This is my contest entry for the "Winter Blues" Contest for the 9 Club on deviantART. The contest was to write the most depressing fanfiction story possible. Fingers crossed I did that.**_

_**Enjoy. And wish me luck. :)**_

**Chapter 1: The Dream**

It was bright outside. The flowers swayed gently in the breeze as 9 and 5 walked through them.

"So this is how everything used to be?" 9 asked with a small laugh.

5 chuckled. '"I guess, I wouldn't know. I woke up while the war was going on, remember."

"Oh, right…sorry." 9 bowed his head.

"It's alright," 5 assured patting 9 on the back.

The two friends smiled at each other and 9 slung his arm around 5's shoulder before they continued onward.

"Why don't you come live with 7 and I…and the twins? We're living in the twins' library," 9 said.

"Eh, I dunno."

9's face fell. "Why not? Don't you want to live with your friends?"

"Well, of course I do, it's just…"

"It's just what?"

"I can't."

"Why not?" 9 was heartbroken.

"I died, remember?" 5 asked.

9's eyebrows pitched downward. He was confused. "What are you talk-?"

He was interrupted by a bright red light. He gasped as the Fabrication Machine advanced on them.

9 immediately ran. He turned around to see that 5 had fallen behind.

"5!" 9 cried as 5 was scooped off the ground by the Machine.

9 rushed to save his friend when he felt two metallic hands closing around his wrists. "9! Stop!"

9 tried to struggle out of 1's grasp. "There's nothing you can do!" 1 repeated over and over again.

Suddenly, the talisman sprung to life and a green light lashed out at 5. He screamed in agony as his soul was ripped from his body.

"NOOO!" 9 screamed.

"9!" 1 cried as 9 broke free of his grip.

9 rushed to 5's body as the Machine dropped it on the floor. A hole had burned through 5's eye patch. 9 shivered at the sight of his deceased friend.

"9!" 1 shouted.

The Great Machine looked down upon 9 with it's piercing red eye. As it's eye closed, the talisman sprang to life again. 9 gasped.

"9! 9!" 1's voice dissolved into 7's and 9 woke up.

Bolting upright, 9 gasped and shook violently. 7 and the twins were staring at him, concerned. 7 reached out and touched 9's shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked.

9's breathing slowed down and he shook his head. "Yeah. I-I'm fine. I'm alright."

He got to his feet and walked off. 7 sighed and looked back at the twins who were clinging to each other. Sighing, 7 stood up and followed 9. The twins trailed behind but they never approached her.

9 sat by the pool were the group had held the burial for 2. 9 wondered where 2's body had ended up. Was it even still intact? His mind wandered to the others that had died.

9 had been the only one in the group to see 8 die. Although 9 himself never became close to 8, he could tell how heartbroken his death had made 1. His body couldn't possibly still be intact for it remained in the factory and that had been destroyed. Of course, the Machine had survived the factory being destroyed. Still, 9 highly doubted 8's body was still in one piece.

9 knew 5's body was mangled. A hole had burned through his eye patch and the Machine had stepped on one of his legs when chasing after the rest of the group. 9 knew this because he had accidentally come across 5's body while wandering around the Emptiness the previous week. Perhaps that's what gave him the nightmare.

9 had no idea what condition 6's body was in and never would. He knew where it was though and had a pretty good feeling something horrible had happened to it by now.

And 1's body, well, it had been crushed underneath the Machine.

9 felt sick thinking about it. How he had hurt all his friends.

"9," 7 said quietly.

9 turned to face her. She sat beside him and pulled him into a tight hug. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," 9 muttered.

"Something's bothering you."

9 sighed. "I keep having these horrible dreams." There was a long silence.

"Once when you were asleep I heard you muttering something. It sounded like you were talking to 5," 7 said.

9 said nothing. He stared at his saddened reflection in the water.

"You miss him, don't you?" 7 asked.

9 looked at her. "I could tell you two got really close."

9 sighed. "Yes. I've been thinking about everyone, actually. Everyone that died. How it was my fault."

"But you set them all free," 7 reminded.

"I know but…I just feel like I could've prevented it. Well, not really but…they'd all still be here if it weren't for me," 9 said.

7 said nothing. The twins were watching them silently from a distance. 7 rubbed 9's back and said: "Try to sleep."

"I can't sleep. Every time I do I just see everyone getting hurt!" 9 curled into a ball.

"9, you need to rest," 7 said.

"I thought you said we didn't require sleep."

7 paused. "We don't, but 2 always said it was a good idea to rest our bodies and our minds every now and then."

"But that's just it! I can't rest my mind!"

7 bowed her head. "9, please. For me."

9 avoided 7's eyes. 7 sighed. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked.

"I don't think so. I'll be fine." 9 stood up and walked off.

"Where are you going?" 7 asked as she noticed 9 heading for the exit.

"I'm just gonna walk around for a while. I shouldn't be gone long."

7's lips formed a thin line but she shook her head and said: "Alright."

The twins watching as 9 left. 7 said nothing to them and wandered back to the book she had been reading.


	2. Seeing Things

**Chapter 2-Seeing Things**

7 knew exactly where 9 was headed. Before they had released the souls of their friends, 9 took 7 and the twins into the first room to show them the Scientist's message.7 had only had a brief conversation with the Scientist about how there were others like her that she needed to find and help protect. The twins, apparently, had never seen this man before in their life (perhaps they had woken up and scurried off when the Scientist wasn't in the room) and were in complete awe of the human they saw.

The next day, 9 had gone back to listen to the message again.

"Do you really need to hear it again?" 7 had asked. "You did what he asked you to do."

"I just want to listen," was 9's response.

7 pursed her lips. He didn't do it every day, but 9 seemed to have grown fond of journeying back to the first room and listening to the Scientist's message and then sitting by the man's corpse in silence. 7 assumed 9 felt he never got the face time with their creator the way 7 and the others did (excluding the twins of course).

"What was he like?" 9 had asked.

"I don't remember. I mean, he really didn't say much. He seemed nice though," 7 responded.

This question had been followed with a question about 2. 2 had been 9's first friend and 9 seemed eager to know more about him. As 7 explained 2 to 9, she could see in his eyes that he was trying to imagine the friendship he could've had with the elder ragdoll.

A month had passed before now and 7 was busy reading a book the twins had shown to her. It was something called _The Grimm Tales_ and was filled with dark and mysterious fairytales. 7 had become fascinated with the stories but was not the fastest reader and had barely gotten past the third chapter since she had been introduced to the book.

7's slow reading was partially due to the fact she couldn't stay in one place for a long time and would often get up in the middle of a page and wander off to do something else. She had gotten to the passage where the woodsman burst into the Grandmother's house to save Little Red and the Grandmother from the wolf when she heard: "You never were the fastest reader."

7 looked up at 2, nodded, and smiled. She went back to the story when she paused. She looked up to see 2 again and froze. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

2 arched his eyebrows. "I just came to talk. Is that alright?" he added with a chuckle.

"Bu-but I don't understand. You-you're…" 7 looked at 2 then back to her book and then looked back up at 2 to see he was gone.

7 shuddered a little bit and shook her head. She went back to reading when she heard: "Ah, Little Red Riding Hood. Interesting. It's a bit morbid for my taste but still quite a story."

7 jumped at the sound of 2's voice and crawled away when she realized he was reading over her shoulder. She cautiously moved forward with an outstretched hand and tried to touch 2's shoulder. This was the third time 7 had hallucinated that 2 was there and it was scaring her more and more. The first time had been a month after she left the cathedral. The second time was a couple of weeks after the souls had been released. This was the first time 2 had spoken.

2 turned just before 7's hand could reach him. "What is it?" he asked sympathetically.

7 shook her head. She couldn't tell what was triggering this. She figured the first time was because she was remembering everyone she had left behind when she ran away. The second time was most likely because the souls had all been released and that memory was still fresh in her mind. Why now? Was it because 9 had brought up everyone who had died; how he felt guilty about it? Was 7 guilty?

"7?" 2 asked cautiously.

"2…why are here?" 7 asked, shaken.

2 looked confused.

"Are you mad at me?" 7 asked.

2 looked taken aback. "Why would I be mad?"

7 eased up a little bit. "It's just…nothing. I just thought you were upset with me."

"Well, I am but I'm not angry."

7 froze. "What?"

"Well, you just left," 2 said.

7's mouth formed a thin line. Every other time she had imagined 2 was there he always looked disappointed. It hurt more knowing exactly why.

"2, I didn't leave because I was mad at you."

"Oh, I know," 2 said waving his in a reassuring way. The look on his face, however, was anything but reassuring.

"I'm sorry. I just…I just couldn't stay trapped in that tower any longer," 7 explained.

"7, I know _why_ you left," 2 said.

"You didn't seem mad when you saw me again," 7 said referring to when she had saved 2, 5, and 9 from the Cat Beast.

"7, I'm not mad!" 2 said laughing a little. Normally, his laughter could ease anyone's nerves; it just made 7 feel worse.

"But you're disappointed."

"Yes."

"Why?"

2 rested his hand on 7's. Even though 2 wasn't really there, 7 could feel his hand closing around hers. "You were my friend. You were like a daughter to me and you just got up and left!"

"I left because…"

"I know why you left, 7!"

"Then what's wrong?"

7 had never seen 2 look more disappointed than he was now. "You didn't even say goodbye."

7 shrunk into her shoulders. "I…"

"It hurt. I mean, I know you and I were growing apart. I started spending more time with 5 and you with the twins. You didn't even take the twins with you, they went after you!"

"I'm sorry!"

"The twins aren't mad at you," 2 said.

"I know…"

"No one's mad at you, 7. The twins and 5 and 6 all forgive you."

"But do you forgive me?" 7 asked.

In the blink of an eye, 2 disappeared. "2," 7 gasped. She reached out but felt nothing. She looked around wildly.

"2!" she called out louder. "TWO!"

Nothing. 2 wasn't there.

7 feel to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she said barely above a whisper. With her face still in her hands, she shrieked: "I'M SORRY!"

The twins rushed from their spot in the library to find 7 bent over in agony. They rushed to her side and hugged her. She trembled a little and squeezed their hands. They were like her children. They were better children to her than she had been one to 2. She felt sick. Shaking her head, 7 slowly stood up, with some help from the twins and looked out the window. It was getting dark and 9 still wasn't back yet.

7 looked down at the twins. "I'm going to find 9."

The twins gripped 7's hand tighter. They hated when she left.

7 knelt down to their height and placed her hands on their shoulders. "I'll be back, I promise." She gave them a warm smile.

The twins gave her a small smile back. As she headed out, their faces fell. They looked into each other's eyes before finally deciding to go back to their books.


	3. The Storm

**Chapter 3-The Storm**

"…Together, you and this device will protect the future. Watch closely and remember what you see."

9 had watched this message so many times the sequence was permanently engraved in his mind. He watched the Scientist take his glasses off and rub his nose. He wiped his face before looking back at 9:

"Good luck, 9." And then the image of the Scientist disappeared.

9 sighed and closed the lid of the box. He made his way over to the Scientist's corpse and sat beside it. The man's skin was beginning to look even more purple and his skin was so tight around his bones that it was ripping in a few places. 9 was almost afraid to touch him. Still, 9 reached out and gingerly rested one of his hands on the Scientist's cheek. He waited, pointlessly, for the Scientist to open one of his eyes, look at 9, and then scoop the ragdoll up into his hand and talk to him.

It was silly, but 9 wanted so badly to talk to the Scientist. He knew he never could but oh, how he wanted to. He wanted to be able to have a conversation with the man who was essentially his father.

When the corpse did not move, 9 sighed and gloomily got to his feet. It was getting dark. Once outside, 9 run the match he had brought with him across a bit of rubble and _fizz_ and fire erupted from the end.

9 was surprised at how dark it was already. It was still a little early for it to be dark. About midway back to the library, 9 felt something hit his head. He reached up and ran his free hand over the top of his head and felt something wet. A raindrop fell and extinguished the flame. 9 sighed and ran the match along the floor hoping for a spark at least.

More rain fell and 9 gave up. He still held onto the match just in case. The rain would start and stop fairly quickly. Either that or there would be a storm but 9 highly doubted there'd be a storm. Or at least, he hoped there wouldn't be.

Just then, lightning cracked across the sky and thunder rumbled the Earth. 9 dropped the match and dashed to the library.

7 was frightened when she saw the lightning. What if it hit 9?

"9!" she called.

9 wasn't far from where she was. "7!" he called back.

They met up beside a car with a broken window and a door that had come off. "Oh, good! You're alright!" 7 gasped throwing her arm' around 9.

9 wrapped his arms around 7 and asked. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, you know me. I can never stay in one place for a long time," 7 said breathlessly.

Lightning flashed.

"Why are you really out here?" 9 asked.

7 rolled her eyes. How did 9 always know when someone was lying? "I was worried. I didn't want you to get hurt."

9 smiled. Thunder boomed. He held 7 closer to him. "Maybe we should stay in here until the storm ends," he pointed to the car.

"No!" 7 said a little louder than meant to.

9 was shocked at her volume and asked: "Why not?"

"The twins are back at the library! We can't just leave them there! I can't just leave them there! I promised I'd be back! I can't leave them! Not again!" 7 cried hysterically.

9 patted her back and said: "Alright. 7 it's alright. We'll get back to them."

7 nodded her head as 9 took her hand. The two of them rushed from their hiding spot jumping every time they heard thunder or saw a flash of lightning. 9 almost stumbled over a rock and 7 bumped into 9 at least twice.

"Sorry!" she apologized.

"It's fine!" 9 answered through the bellowing thunder.

"9! Let go! We can't run like this!"

A little reluctantly, 9 released 7's hand. The continued running, now a little faster, when there was a bright flash of lightning. It struck so close it almost blew them on their backs.

"What now?" 7 asked.

9 squinted in the dark. Another flash of light illuminated the path ahead. "We're not far from the library. I think we can make it!"

They continued running. 9 began to run ahead but 7 quickly caught up. One would always wind up ahead of the other. 9 was at least four inches or so ahead of 7 when there was a bright flash lightning. It's force pushed 9 forward and he feel on his face. He pushed himself up to look back at 7. He caught sight of her the moment her body hit the ground.

"7!" 9 cried.

He ran to her and cringed at the hole the lightning had created in her back. The patch on her back was beginning to singe. 9 could she was still partially with him and he picked her up. When he saw light again, he cringed and began dragging 7 under some rubble. There was a hole big enough for both of them to fit and 9 crawled into it. He rested 7 beside him.

"9…" 7 struggled to say.

Suddenly, her body began to spasm and 7 gripped her chest. Her voice box had exploded and she collapsed. Her back was still burning and 9 did his best to stop it.

"7. 7," 9 repeated her name over and over again but all 7 could do was look 9 in the eyes one last time before she closed her optics forever.

"No. 7!" 9 seized 7's shoulder and shook them but 7 didn't wake.

"7!" 9 cried. But it was no use, 7 was nothing but a shell now.

He picked up her mangled body and rocked it back and forth. There was a hole burned into her back, her eyes were loose in their sockets from when her insides had ruptured and there was a hole blast through her chest from the same incident. Her voice box hung limply from her chest and through the hole in her back 9 could see some of her framework had busted.

9 whimpered softly as he held 7's body closer and closer. What felt like forever had only been three hours when the storm finally stopped. 9 didn't know what to do. He just wanted to break down and cry. Unfortunately, he was incapable of such a feat. In fact, he wasn't even sure if the shuddered gasps he was taking was even him really breathing or just an imitation of the action but he really didn't care right now.

There were so many things that 7 would never be able to do now. So many things she wouldn't be able to discover. Things 9 had wanted to tell her that she could never hear. She had never made it back to the twins…

9 paused. "The twins."


	4. 7's Funeral

**Chapter 4-7's Funeral**

3 and 4 had been huddled in an empty space on one of the book shelves when the storm was going on. They gripped each other's hands tightly as they waited for the storm to end and for 9 and 7 to return. They would return, right?

When the storm ended, the twins carefully made their way out of their hiding place. They saw a figure approaching. It was 9.

Relived, the twins rushed towards him, throwing their arms around his waist. But wait, they realized, where was 7?

The twins looked up desperately into 9's eyes. 9 received them with a sorrowful look and 3 and 4 cringed.

It was still pretty dark out although the storm clouds had cleared away. The twins' eyes flickered to shed light but their eyes dimmed when they saw 7's body. 9's lips trembled as he watched the twins frantically looking over 7's body. 4 tried to awaken 7 by shaking her shoulder but it was no use. Both twins tried to position 7 upright as if she was sitting up but her body just flopped over again. The twins flinched when one of 7's eyes became even looser from her socket and 4's face buried into 3's shoulder. 3's face buried into 4's hood and they wept silently.

9 felt choked up as well. He knelt over to comfort the twins when he saw a dim light flicker inside of 7. It was incredibly small and green.

"I think her soul's still trapped inside her," 9 thought aloud.

The twins looked up at 9 in confusion.

The talisman had been stored back in the Scientist's lab by 9 after the souls of his friends had been released. The twins seemed reluctant at first but eventually agreed that 7's soul needed to be freed.

9 tapped in the sequence on the talisman and the twins turned their heads so they wouldn't have to see. 9 cringed as the device ripped 7's soul from her body. Like with the others, 9 had constructed a flag with 7's number on it. He placed the talisman in front of this and entered the sequence again. 9 backed up and pushed the twins out of the way as the talisman sprung open.

7 slowly rose out of the talisman. She seemed a little perplexed but not because she didn't know what was happening. Ne had expected she would die. If anything, the others thought if they were to die she would have lived the longest. She had endured so much she seemed indestructible but now…

The twins rushed to her. 7 held out her hands to embrace them. The twins to rest their heads on 7's shoulders but she wasn't technically there so the deeper their heads when in the less tangible she became. If 7 could cry she would have. She had promised them she'd be back, that she'd be alright, but she wasn't.

She looked up at 9. He was standing still just watching 7 and the twins. 7 stood and approached him. 9 attempted to take her hand. He barely held it for he saw what happened when the twins tried to touch her. They looked into each other eyes for a long time before 9 unconsciously mouthed the words: "I love you."

7's optics widened. 9's eyebrows pitched downwards. What did he do? Although she couldn't really hold it, 7's grip tightened around 9's hand. She had intended to speak, but she no longer had a voice so she could only mouth: "I love you too."

She leaned forward and placed her lips on 9's. 9 flinched but quickly closed his eyes. Intangible as she was, 9 could still feel she was there.

When their lips parted, 7 made her way back to her grave. 3 and 4 trembled and 7 leaned over to give them small kisses on their foreheads. She took one look at her friends, her family, before became weightless and lifted into the sky.

The three she had left behind could barely watch her go. 9 dropped his gaze before 7's soul completely disappeared into the sky but the twins watched her go the whole way. No rain fell the way it had when the others left but that didn't bother 9. In fact, he hoped rain never fell. He never wanted another storm to come.


	5. Impaled

**Chapter 5-Impaled**

Weeks had gone by after 7's funeral. 9 had tried his best to be a good parent figure to the twins but it just wasn't the same. He managed to rock them to sleep well enough and they would crack a smile at him every now and then but he just wasn't 7. No matter that he was just as brave, just as persistent, he still wasn't her.

The twins mostly spent time with each other, not that this was uncommon. They didn't seem to be cataloging as much as they used to and that worried 9. One day, 9 stumbled across a dead rat outside. He almost showed it to the twins to see if that would get them in the cataloging mood but he then decided that dead things wouldn't help much.

Although it was technically dead, a wilted flower would have to do 9 finally decided. The twins had become a little too inactive and 9 was getting scared.

He brought the twins to the flower and they examined it. 9 felt relived at this until he noticed something on the ground. He picked it up and held it in his hand. It looked like one of his optics only cracked almost all the way down the middle. 9 shuddered when he realized it was 5's eye and dropped it. The twins turned when they heard the optic drop and 9 quickly kicked it to the side.

"Do you like the flower?" he asked.

Slowly, the twins nodded their heads. When they returned to the wilted plant, 9 glanced sadly over at 5's optic. Even though 9 had only known 5 for a couple of days, they had become very close. 9 noticed when he had come across 5's dead body that one day that if 5 still had both eyes and a zipper or 9 had buttons they could have easily been twins.

9 glanced back over at 3 and 4. Occasionally they would fight over who got to catalog what. It had happened when he first met the twins, 3 had wanted to catalog 9's light bulb and didn't want to share with 4. It had happened other times like once when the twins had found a wedding ring. 4 had tried to wrestle it out of 3's hand and after restless hours of trying, succeeded, until 3 snatched it back. Even then, 9 could tell that the twins couldn't possibly live without one another. Especially now. 9 could hardly understand them. The only way they could really communicate with 9 was if they had cataloged something and projected it with 4's eyes. Aside from each other, there was no one for them to talk to.

Now, 4 seemed to be telling 3 something. 9 wondered if it had anything to do with the flower. Or maybe it was 7. Or perhaps they were talking about him behind his back. 9 tried not to think about the last option.

A month had passed by then and they three survivors where passing through a familiar street. 9 noticed the roller skate full of miscellaneous items and a baby doll that 2 had collected when they had first met. 9 gently pulled on his zipper and ran his fingers over his voice box. "Friend?" had been his first word. Did he still have friends? He hoped the twins still liked him. They still tagged along with him.

They were drawing nearer to the Scientist's home. 9 was tempted to go inside but the twins didn't share the urge. They didn't want to be anywhere near the burial ground. Understanding, 9 pressed on.

They made their way through the battle grounds. 9 twitched a little when he saw the remains of the Fabrication Machine. Crushed underneath it was 1's body. 9 could see 1's arm sticking out from beneath one of the Machine's arms.

The twins slowly moved towards the Machine. They knew it wouldn't hurt them for it was now destroyed but still…

They noticed that the Machine was sitting funny on it's side. It looked like it would topple over at any minute. 9 noticed this too.

"3…4…" he whispered fearing that just speaking would set the Machine off.

Suddenly becoming brave, 4 ventured a little closer. Worrying about 4, 3 moved forward. 3 grabbed 4's arm. 4 flinched and looked back at 3. Their eyes flickered and they slowly moved back. Then forward. And then back again. And then forward again.

They were beginning to get more indecisive, 9 thought, and he moved closer to them.

"3, 4. Come on. Don't get too close," he hissed.

The twins began to move away just as the Machine began to tip. 9 lunged forward and seized the twin closest to him. It was 3. 3 grabbed 4's hand as 9 pulled them away. A jagged point on the Machine swooped down and ran through 4's middle. 4 let go of 3 and 3 turned around. Shocked, 3 let go of 9.

"Wait!" 9 cried wrapping his arms around 3's waist.

He pulled 3 with all his might, still thinking that 3 had 4's hand, and fell to the ground. 9wrapped his arm around 3's head and reached for 4's but the other twins wasn't there. 9 looked back and saw 4's limp body lying on the floor skewered on a broken end of the Machine.

"No…"

3 broke free of 9's grip and rushed to 4. 9 tried to help free 4 but it was hard. Eventually, he and 3 had to pretty much rip 4 in half to free the poor twin. 4 was still alive, but just barely. 3 hugged the twin as tightly as possible. 9 watched as the surviving twin's head shock. 3 wasn't ready to believe 4 was going to die. 4's eye' flickered, trying to say something to 3. 3 looked into 4's eyes. 9 wasn't sure what they said, but it was probably goodbye.

4's optics shut and 3's head rested on 4's forehead. Silently, 3 cried. 9 rested one hand on 3's back and the other lay over 4's left hand. 3 almost pushed 9 away but didn't.

"We should let 4 go," 9 whispered.

3's head shot up. Wildly 3's head shook. "I know it's hard and it hurts but…wouldn't you rather 4 be free than trapped in a destroyed body?"

3's head dropped. That was the same line 9 had used to get the twins to release 7. 3 agreed.

They set up 4's flag. 9 was ready to use the talisman hen 3 tugged at the fabric of his arm. By the way 3 looked at the talisman, 9 could understand.

"Do you wanna do it?" he asked softly.

3 nodded. 9 handed the remaining twin the talisman and pointed to each shaped in the correct order. 3 repeated 9's sequence and the talisman began to shake. 9 threw the talisman on the floor and held 3 back. 3 ran to 4 when the twin lifted out of the talisman. 3 wanted to hug 4 but that was impossible. 4's hands rested on 3's shoulders. 3's hands rested on 4's. They just stood there and stared at each other. Their eyes never flickered. They could still understand each other though, right? 9 wondered.

When 3's head bowed, 4's rested against 3's hood. 9 walked over to the twins and held out his hand. Noticing this, one of 4's hands left 3's shoulder and rested in 9's palm.

Never leaving 4's gaze, 9 said: "Let the others know we miss them, 'kay?"

4 nodded. 4 shared one last with 3 before taking off. 3 almost broke down. "Hey. Do you want to go back to the library?"

3 didn't move. 9 held 3 closer and rocked the twin back and forth before going up into the first room.


	6. Misunderstanding

**Chapter 6-Misunderstanding**

3 was only marginally interested in being in the Scientist's room. There had been a couple of times when the twins had followed 9 into the first room and looked over things, including the Scientist's corpse. Now 3 just sat in the middle of the floor and looked over an early sketch of 1.

9 looked over 6's sketch. It seemed like the quickest sketch out of the lot. After that, he looked at 8's sketch. And then 2 sketch, then 5's, and then 7's. 9 looked over 7's the longest. He then returned to 5's and 2's sketch. After 3 was done with 1's sketch, 9 took it and paired it with 8's sketch. He put 2 and 5 next to each other. 6 went in between 5 and himself. 7 was next to him. 9 went looking for the twins' sketch but couldn't find it. Just then, he realized that 3 had it.

There was only one twin on the sketch and no number on it. 3 had found some ink. 9 watched 3's finger dip into the ink well and write the number '4' on the picture of the twin. 9 had wanted to set the twins' sketch nest to 7's but 3 clearly wouldn't be giving the picture up anytime soon.

There was a book in the far corner of the room that 9 retrieved and pushed it in 3's direction. 3 looked at the book apathetically. There was no point in cataloging it if there was no one to share the information with; no one to talk to about it. It wasn't like 3 could show 9 the discoveries. 4 was the only twin that could project images. 3's back turned to the book and the twin's attention turned back to the Scientist's drawing.

9 sighed. "Are you just gonna mope around?"

3 did nothing. "Come on," 9 urged sitting down and opening the book.

3 didn't budge. Reading just wouldn't be the same without 4.

"Come on, please?" 9 asked.

3's head shook. 9 took 3's arm and tried to turn the twin around but 3 shook him off. "We can't just sit around and do nothing."

3's arms crossed. "You never used to do nothing."

Still nothing from 3. "Look, I get it, alright?"

3 finally turned around. "You're upset. I am too. I miss 4 and 7 too."

3's eyes met 9's. "I know how you feel," 9 said.

3's eyebrows pitched downwards. "5 was kind of like a brother to me. I think of him as my twin, you know, kind of like you and 4…"

3 fumed. How dare 9 even say that! 5 wasn't his twin! It wasn't the same! He didn't know how it felt to lose a twin!

3 and 4 looked alike; they could only really talk to each other. They had a special connection that the others didn't understand. How dare 9 compare his relationship with 5 to 3's with 4!

9 noticed the anger in 3's eyes and asked: "What?"

As 9's face was met with 3's back 9 reached out to touch 3's shoulder. 3 shrugged 9's hand off.

"Hey," 9 tried again. 3 shoved 9 away.

"Hey!" 9 tried once more.

3 lunged for 9 and pushed him to the ground. 9 attempted to shield himself from 3's fists beating down on him.

"OW! STOP IT! CUT IT OUT! 3!" 9 cried.

Suddenly, 3 stopped. The twin's finger dipped into the ink well and began scrawling out a message on the open book.

Once finished, 3 crawled back over to the picture of 4 and laid down on it as if to conceal it from the world. 9 cringed at the words 3 had written:

EVERTHING WAS FINE UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP

What hurt most about this was that 3 was right. If it hadn't been for 9 the group would still be alive. 2 wouldn't have died were it not for 9 awakening the Machine. If it weren't for 9 awakening the Machine, 8 wouldn't have been taken by the Seamstress and killed. 5 would still be alive if it weren't for 9. 6 would still be alive 1 would still be alive. 4 would too (technically the Machine had killed the twin). Even 7 would still be alive had 9 not come along. She had gone out to look for him, it was his fault she was dead.

Ordinarily, 9 would've listened to the Scientist's message but 3 would probably get even more annoyed with it so 9 left the box alone. Instead, 9 crawled over to the Scientist's body and curled up into the crook of the man's neck. There were times when 9 felt like this, like a failure, like a horrible person, and he would image talking to the Scientist. He wasn't sure why, exactly, but he took comfort in the idea of talking with the Scientist. He was sure the Scientist would listen to him and give him good advice. Unfortunately, 9 would never know. There was no way possible for the Scientist to come back to life.

"I wish I could talk to you," 9 whispered sadly. "Maybe you'd know what to do."

He pulled a nearby sheet of paper closer to him and used it as a blanket. 3 peered over at 9 before falling asleep on the picture of 4.


	7. What's the Point?

**Chapter 7-What's the Point?**

The next morning came suddenly. 9 awoke with his head resting behind the Scientist's ear. He pushed the paper off of him and stretched.

"Hey, 3…" he said quietly hoping 3 was no longer mad at him.

3 wasn't there. 9 was the only living thing left in the room. The talisman, which 9 had left by the Scientist's box, was also missing. Something clicked in the back of 9's head.

"Oh, no…"

9 bolted out the door and found 3 standing by the graves holding the talisman.

"3! STOP!" 9 called.

3 flinched and turned to look at 9.

"3, don't!" 9 pleaded trying to wrestle the talisman out of 3's hand.

3 wouldn't let the thing go. 9 tried harder to pry it from the twin's hands.

"3! STOP! Give it to me!" 9 shrieked.

3 pulled back.

"STOP! 3! Stop! Listen to me!" 9 finally yanked the talisman out of 3's hands, set it to the side, and grabbed 3's face. "Listen to me! PLEASE!"

3 finally stopped struggling. When their eyes met, 9 continued. "Look, you and I are all that's left, okay? We're all that's left. Our purpose for being here is so that life can go on! We need to be here. We're it."

3's lip quivered.

"Look, I know your upset, but you and I are all that's left."

3 tried to struggle out 9's grip. "3! Would 4 want you to do this?" 3 continued to struggle. "Would 4 want you to just give up like that? Or 7? What about 7? Do you think she'd want you to kill yourself?"

3 stopped struggling. The twin's face twisted up and eventually dug it's way into 9's shoulder. 9 rubbed 3's back soothingly and rocked the twin back and forth. "It'll be okay. Okay? Hey, 3…"

3's arms wrapped around 9 and 9 held 3 tighter. "Do you want to go back to the library?"

3 nodded after a long silence and the two made their way back to the library. They stayed there for a while. 3 picked up where 7 had left off in the _Grimm Brothers_ book. After reading through a few paragraphs, 3 wandered over to a book entitled _Hangnails and Hand Grenades_ and read through the first few chapters. Every now and then, 3 would point to something in the book and 9 would nod. He wasn't exactly sure how to acknowledge some of the things 3 showed him. Once, 3's eyes flickered, hoping that maybe 9 would understand but 9 couldn't.

A week or so went by. 3 and 9 tried their best to communicate. 3 would write something down if the twin really wanted to let 9 know something. It was an awkward form of communication since 9 could answer quickly but 3 would take a while writing out a response.

They would go outside very rarely. Whenever they did it was only for a short while. They passed by the flower 9 had shown 3 and 4 that one day. 3's face fell a little at the sight of them. 9 tried to discuss the flower with 3. 3 would scribble a response in the dirt but it was hard for 9 to read. Eventually they gave up trying to talk about the flowers and moved on.

A couple days went by and nothing had really happened. 3 had already read through most of the books in the library with 4 and none of the new ones seemed interesting. The minimal amount of communication 3 and 9 could have was getting tiresome and after a while they just stopped trying altogether. One day, they were sitting in the front of the library, 3 with a book open and 9 looking over the painting with the grass and the bright sky. It seemed like a distant dream looking at the picture and 9 was starting to fear he would never see the world like this in real life.

He looked over at 3 who wasn't even reading anymore but instead just staring blankly at the text.

9 sighed. "There's just nothing left, is there?"

3 looked up at 9 sadly. No words needed to be spoken for 9 to completely understand 3. 9 took the twins hand and sighed again. Helping 3 up, 9 led the remaining twin back to the first room.

3 stood by the flag 9 had made and waited anxiously. 9 didn't want to do it, but 3 clearly didn't care to live anymore. It was only fair to the twin.

9 cringed as the talisman absorbed 3 soul. 9 turned away as 3's body fell limply to the ground. 9 set the talisman by 3's flag, entered in the combination, and then took a few steps back.

3 seemed almost relived after coming out of the talisman. 9 walked forward and knelt down. 3's arms flung around 9. 3 almost phased through 9's body but managed to stand still enough so that they could have a somewhat tangible hug. 9 wrapped an arm around 3's waist and closed his eyes. 3 moved away and before lifting off, looked 9 straight in the eyes and mouthed the words: "Thank you."

9 watched 3 take off into the sky. As 3's soul disappeared completely, 9 whispered: "You're welcome."


	8. Alone

**Chapter 8-Alone**

A month had passed since 3's death. 9 had become increasing bored with every step he took. There was no one to talk to. Although 9 couldn't really communicate with the twins, he at least had someone to look at. At least there had been someone there. Now there was no one but himself. Now 9 was truly alone.

He couldn't help but blame himself for all this. He hated himself. Nothing could keep him from hating himself. There was no one around to tell him it wasn't his fault; no one to comfort him.

9's mind wandered back to when he had first met 2; his first friend. He had been responsible for the death of his first friend.

9 didn't really get to know 8 and the bigger ragdoll hadn't shown 9 any kindness whatsoever. Still, 9 could tell 8 had at least cared about the group (if not at least 1) and 9 cringed when he remembered watching 8 die.

5's death hurt 9 the most. 2 had been his first friend, but 5 was his best friend. 9 wished he could have saved 5. He almost hated 1 for a second. After all, 1 had been the one who stopped 9 from helping 5. In the end, 9 realized 1 had been right. There was nothing he could've done to save 5. Actually, there was. He could've not put the damn talisman in the machine!

There was clearly more to 6 than met the eye. 9 wished he could've gotten to know 6 better. Even if 6 had accepted his death, 9 still wince whenever he recalled watching 6's body drop into the chasm.

1's sacrifice proved that he wasn't really heartless, but 9 still wished the old man hadn't pushed him out of the way. Even if 1 was partially to blame for 2's death (and to a lesser extent 5's), 9 still felt he should've been the one to take the hit. It was all his fault the Machine had awoken; he should've been the one to die. Maybe then the rest of the group might still be alive.

9 walked aimlessly around the Emptiness. He stumbled across the burnt cathedral. Part of him wanted to go inside but he knew it would just hurt too much. He knew better than to go into the destroyed Factory when he got close to it; not that it mattered. If he had a heart, it would've broken at the sight of 5's body.

Once or twice, 9 had come close to wandering off the edge of the cliff where the bridge had once stood. He strained his optics to see if he could find 6's body but it was no use. The chasm seemed endless.

More moths passed and 9 began to hallucinate. He'd run up to 7 or one of the twins or 5 or 2 or 6 or even 1 and 8 only to find they weren't really there. He imagined that the Scientist was walking along side him a few times but whenever 9 tried to start up a conversation, the image would disappear.

The hallucinations stopped for a while and 9 would fall to his knees and sob.

"PLEASE!" He'd screamed as loud as he could. "PLEASE!"

No one answered.

"SOMEBODY! ANYONE! PLEASE! I CAN'T BE ALL THAT'S LEFT! I CAN'T BE IT! PLEASE!"

Still no reply. Not even a howl of wind.

"PLEASE! 7! 7! 3! 4! 5! 5! PLEAE! 5! SOMEONE! ANYONE! 2! 6! 1! 8! 2! 7! 4! 5! 3! 8! 1! THE SCIENTIST! SOMEONE! I DON'T CARE JUST SOMEONE!"

9 begged and pleaded until eventually his voice box stopped working. He'd open his mouth to scream but nothing came out. He deserved this, he thought. He deserved this. It hurt badly but he knew he deserved it.

One cold winter day, 9 finally collapsed. There was no one there to wake him. A month had gone by and he still hadn't awoken. A year passed and he was clearly dead. There was no one there to find him; no one there to send his soul into the sky with the others. 9 died alone and he would always be alone.

**THE END**

_**Depressing? Good! That's the point 8D **_

_**Sorry the chapters were so short, that was unintentional. Please, leave your thoughts. I'd like to know what you think. And again, wish me luck for the contest! ^^**_

_**Later, 'gaters.**_

_**-Alex**_


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